The present invention generally relates to the field of software systems, and more specifically, to techniques for saving user search queries and providing updated search results based on the saved queries.
Users frequently re-execute the same Internet search queries that they have executed in the past. Query re-execution is useful not only as a way to find a desired search result that a user recalls seeing before, but is also useful for tracking changes in information on a particular topic. As one example, users are frequently interested in finding references to themselves, so they may use their web browsers to enter their own names and any additional identifying information (such as their professions) as a query to be executed by a network search engine. By repeating the same query at later times, they can check to see if there has been any additional information provided about them.
However, conventional browsers fail to provide assistance for repeated querying, instead requiring the user to remember to re-execute the query (e.g., entering his or her name), as well as to remember the exact terms that made up the query, and to re-enter each of those terms. This is particularly problematic in the case of lengthy or complex search queries. Further, once the search results have been returned in response to query execution, conventional browsers fail to aid the user in distinguishing the new search results that were not present in sets of search results obtained on prior occasions or in pointing out search results of particular relevance to the user.